Improved apparatus for diffusing- vapors through cushions, mattresses



diritti Quatre WILLIAM WELCH, O F MONTREAL, CANAD.

Lenen Patent N 99,986, dated -Famwy 15, 1870.

IMPRGVED APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING- VAPORS THRGUGH CUSHIONS, MATTRESSBS,

Hyg-

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ot the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM WELCH, of vYarrnouth, Norfolk county, England, temporarily residing at Montreal, Canada, have invented an Improved Machine for Diiiusing Vaporthrough Cushions, Mattresses, Bedding, 85o., for the purpose of' cleansing them, which machine I term a`.Vapor-Fumigator;

and I do hereby declare that the following,- taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form `part of this specification, is a description of my invention suiiicient to enable those skilled in the alt to practice it.

My invention consists primarily in a closet provided with a. tier of shelves, over each ofwhch pass perforated steam-pipes, extending from a main steam-pipe,

the shelves being made hollow or the chamber provided with a hollow steam casing or steam-boxes.

Upon the shelves are .placed the cushions or other articles to be cleansed, and the doors of the closet being tightly closed, steam is let in through the perforated pipes, saturating the articles with hot steam, thereby destroying all insects and purifying the articles, which being eiectedfthe steam is shut oii from the perforated pipes, and steam is then passed through the hollow shelves, casing, or steam-boxes, thereby heating the closet and drying the cleansed articles.

The drawings represent an apparatus embodying the invention.

. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line :t x. Figure -3 is a verticalsection on the line y y. Figure 4 is a plan with the top of the closet removed.

a denotes the steam-chamber, the walls vof which are made ofwood or other lnon-conducting material, and constructed so as to be perfectly steam-tight.

At one side of the chamber are suitable doors, provided with rubber strips or other suitable packingstrips, (where they clase against the closet walls,) Ato make them steam-tight when closed, and the walls are to be ot suiiicient 'strength to withstand the requisite pressure of steam or other vapor used in fumigating.

Y b b denote trays or shelves, having upwardly-projecting ribs marked o, on which the articles to be i'umigated l or steam-vaporiaed are placed,.these ribs being made of suitable lheight above the top of the trayoand perforated steam-pipes d d, in order to allow a sutcient space to insure the proper circulation and action of the steam or otller vapor on all parts of the cushions, mattresses, or other articles to be fnmigated.

e is the main 'steam or fumigating pipe, connected at its top f by a suitable pipe, provided with a stopcock, with the boiler, the main pipe having branching from it the branch-pipes d, which, passing through the end of steam-box, extend the entire length of each tray, each branch-pipe being provided with a stop-valve, g, between the outside of the closet and the main steam-pipe c.

Each branch-pipe is preferably arranged toirest upon one of the shelves, or upon the ribs projecting therefrom, and'has a series of perforations through its top, as seen in fig.` 4.

Pipes marked h lead from the top` of the chamber, for the escape of the steam from the chamber after being used in fumigating.

The operation of' the fumigator is as follows:

The articles to be cleansed are placed upon the trays b, and the doors of the steam-closet are closed.

The stop-cocks g are then opened and steam or other vapor of about twenty poundspressure `per square inch, more or less, as is found necessary, is admitted from the boiler through the main steam-pipe c into the perforated branch-pipes d, thus filling the steam-box a, and thoroughly permeating and fumigating the cushions, mattresses, or other articles placed on the trays, the holes in branch-pipes d being placed so as to inject the steam directly into the articles to be fumigated, thus e'ectually destroying insect life', and completely disinfecting and cleansing them from the foul condition in which they may have been previous to the fumigation. f

The steam 0r vapor after its fumigative action passes up through spaces i at the ends or sides of the shelves, (see g. 4,) and from thence escapes through the pipes h into the atmosphere. l

VVheu the articies are thoroughly fumigated, the stop-valves g are closed, and the articles are then submitted to a drying process, as follows:

l A branch-pipe, k, at the bottom of the main steampipe e, 1, passes into the ysteam-bor: and communicates at Z with a hollow space, m, in the bottom tray. A stop-cock on this branch-pipe k being opened, steam or vapor is admitted into the interior of the bottom tray, and thence ascends through the connecting pipes 'n into every tray, all being made hollow, and

iinally escapes through the waste-pipe o into the atmosphere. y

The connecting pipes a are placed at alternately opposite endspof the respective trays, as seen in iig. 2, thus keeping a continuous circulation of steam through all the trays, and maintaining an equal temperature in the steam-chamber, and producinga drying process suflciently rapid to give an elasticity to the hair, grass,

or other material used in the fumigated articles, which cannot be obtained by any other known process ,except teasing.

lusteadof these-hollowshelves, hollow vertical'partitious or pipes may be employed to convey the steam for drying, or the chamber may be made with steamues adjacent to the walls. I prefer, however, the construction and arrangement shown.

It will he obvious that the shape of the trays or of the closet may be varied as circumstances may dictate or require, they being made square, rectangular, cylindrical, or of any other shape best suited for the particular purpose to which'the fumigator is to be applied.

It will also be obvious that the number of trays or perforated branch-pipes to be used in each fumigator maybe varied to any extent desirable.

I clairny A vapor-fumigating apparatus, having a series of 'substantially as described.

p WILLIAM WELCH.` Witnesses:

HENRY SHACKELL, WILLLAM WAlNMIGHT. 

